Architecture Wednesday: Casa Deco

This is yet another attempt of mine to sway Carlos about retiring in Merida, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

This house, in the historic center of Merida, is a renovation of a once run-down home transformed into a breathtaking house with an old-world vibe influenced by a more modern atmosphere.

It’s Casa Deco. The project is part of an ongoing initiative in Merida to preserve the historic integrity of the downtown core. Rather than razing these crumbling older buildings—like many cities do—and replacing them with new ones, the old buildings are repurposed and retrofitted, preserving their style.

Deco House already had the traditional architectural style of its name, although this wasn’t always the case. Research revealed that it initially was not created in this style but that its facade was remodeled to make the building resemble the local historical cityscape.

But, rather than go back to its unmatched roots or change the facade to something entirely different, designers leaned into the home’s slightly unconventional history and adapted the building as though it was always rooted in deco architecture and design. The project merged into a mix of both traditional architecture and a more modern aesthetic. It has all the amenities of contemporary living amid details and decor that hearken back to more culturally and historically time.

The design team carefully balanced and reinterpreted each space in the house, while allowing other spaces, the courtyard, balconies, and terraces, to keep a more traditional feel, even with the addition of a pool. Other parts of the house were too antiquated to be left as is, so the kitchen and bathrooms were modernized; windows were updated but kept their old-style appeal.

Some things in the house like the central winding staircase, which seems original, was built entirely new for practicality, while the original stone walls were repaired but otherwise remain as they have for decades. In places where new interior structures were built, designers worked in locally sourced and repurposed timber with a natural stain, keeping things accurate and historical.

It’s a great blend of what was and what can be. Now, if I could just get Carlos onboard …

As always, click to emBIGGERate ...

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